Switch box



.May 13 1924 H. G. BAXTER SWITCH BOX Filed oct. e;

1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .IIL

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INVENTOR /Yam/d @after wrrNEssEs:

ATTORNEY May; 13, 1924.-

H. G. BAXTER SWITCH BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 6, 1920 `INVEN'roR /dald i Baxter w. so@

WITNESSES: l

ATTORNEY Patented May 13, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.N

HAROLDVG. BAXTER, OF BALDWIN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING-HOUSE ELEC- TRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH BOX. v

Application inea october e, 1920. serial No. 415,053.

ployed in controlling lighting and power circuits.

An object of this invention is to provide a switch-box mechanism that is simple, durable and inex ensive to manufacture wherein the'movable cover for the box is provided with an auxiliary door closing an opening through which the fuses are accessible, and wherein the auxiliary or secondary door and the cover may be locked in closed position by a single locking element.

Another object is to provide a switch box having the above characteristics wherein the secondary door is so interlocked with the switch that opening movement thereof is prevented so longasthe switch remains 1n closed position.

A further object is to -provide a switch box of the character referred to wherein the auxiliary door and the switch are so interlocked that, when the switch is in open povsition,it cannot be closed so long asthe door is in openposition. i These and other objects, which will be made apparent throughout the further description of the invention, are attained by means of the switch box herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawin s, wherein y y Y igure 1 is a plan view of the switchbox mechanism showing the cover and Ithe auxiliary door in closed position. A

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the casing'on the line H-II of Fig. 1, showing the enclosed switch mechanism in side elevation. y y Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the casing on the line III-III of Fig.,1,'show ing the switch mechanism in end elevation.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus includes a housing 4 having a bottom 5, end walls and 7, and side walls 8 and 9. insulating panel 10, which is mounted upon the bottomy, supports two sets of stationary switch-jawgmembersyy 11 and 12, between:

which .a rotary switch-shaft 13 is mounted upon bearings'14 and 15. This shaft Lcarries the switch-blade member 16 for eachpair of switch jaws 11 and 12 `and is operated by means of a handle 17V`secured to the shaft 18. The switch-operating mechanism A, whichmay be of any preferred type, so connects the shaft 18 withfthe switch shaft 13 that a `predetermined angular movement of the handle 17 causes the switch shaft to rotate into or out of engagement with the switch-jaw members with a snap action.

As mechanisms for imparting a snap ac'- tion to the switch shaft are old and wellknown in the art, and as the mechanism herein illustrated forms no part of my invention, it is believed it is unnecessary to here describein detail the operation of'this device. It will be understood, however, that the switch action 'is such that, when the shaft 13 is turned substantially through 90O in a counter-clockwise direction, the switch members 16 fare moved from their closed position, (shownin Fig. 2) to their open position (shown inl dot-anddashlin'es) and when the shaft istufrned 'in a reversed direction a similar distance, the switch-blade membersv are. moved, .to closed position. A cam v19 having an elevated surface 20 is mounted for rotation' with lthe shaft 18 and serves to operate an interlocking mechanism to .be hereinafter described. I y

The housing or casing 4 is provided with a hinged primary cover 21 whichfits over the entire box structure and is hinged there# to by means of hinged. members 23 that are secured to the' side wall 9. The cover is provided with an opening` 24 through whichl the fuse elements` 2,5 which p are mounted on the base 10, are accessible. This openn ing is closed by an auxiliary or secondary door 26 ythat ishinged to theprimary cover 21 by`means of the hinged members 27. A

bolt latch serves tohold the door 26 in closed position with respect to the cover 21, whichjlat'ch` consists of `a bolt housing 28` in 'which a sliding, bolt 29` is free to slide longitudinally of the bolt housing.

. This housing is securedk to the cover 21 and permits the bol-Vt to move into the opening 24 to apposition 'beneath the door 26. The boltI socket 20 isl secured to theunder side of the door'26 and recevestheypro jecting end of ythe bolt 12,9. n Whenl the bolt sjmoved into closed positionv within-the socket the auxiliary door cannot be opened. The bolt is provided with an operating pin 31,' one end of which projects exteriorly of the cover through a slot 32, while the opposite end projects interiorly of the casing through a slot in the bolt housing.

The cover 21 is provided near the edge opposite the hinged side thereof with a slot 33 which registers with a locking clipf34 that is secured to the side wall 8. lfVhen the cover is in closed position, the clip projects through the cover and the latter may be locked in closed position by means of a padlock 35 adapted to be inserted through an eyelet 36 in the clip 34.

In order to lock the secondary door 26 in closed position by means of the lock 35, a bar 37 is slidably mounted on the cover 21 between the bolt housing 28 and the underside of the cover. The bar is provided at one end with a wing so disposed that, when the bar is in the right hand position indicated at A in Figure l, it occupies a position in the path of movement of the pin 81 of the bolt 29 and prevents opening movement of the bolt. The opposite end of the bar 87 is provided with a wing 89 having an outwardly-bent ear 40 provided with a perforation 4l that registers with the perforation or eyelet 36 in the clip 34 when the bar is in its extreme right-hand position.

It will be apparent from the foregoing, that when the perforations 41 and 36 are 'aligned and the lock is passed through both eyelets, neither the cover nor the door can be opened.

Under certain conditions of installation, it isnot expedient to lock the auxiliary door 26 permanently, in which event it is necessary to provide means whereby the door 26 may be unlatched only when the switch is in open position. To accomplish this arrangement, a locking bar 42 that is pivoted tol the underside of the cover 21 by a pivot pin v43, is provided. One end of this bar isv provided with a wing 44 that normally occupies the position in the path of movement of the bolt pin 3l when the bar occupies the position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 2. The opposite end of the bar which is heavier than the end having the wing 44 is provided with a projection 45 that engages the cam 19 and, as shown in Fig. 2. engages the lower surface 46 thereof when the switch-blade member 16 is in closedposition. v

menthe cam -19 is' turned counter-clockwise through 90,o by means of the shaft 18 and the switch is moved to open position, the elevated surface ofthe cam 19 engages the projection 45 and so turns the rocking bar 42 that the wingvy44 thereofis moved outof the path of thebolt pin ,31. The position of the'bar ait such time isillustrated in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 2. It will be app-arent from the foregoing that, when the switch is closed, the door 26 cannotbe unlatched and when the switch is in open position the latch bolt 29 can be moved to unlatched position to release the door.

In order'to so interlock the door 26 with the switch that the switch cannot be closed so long as the dooris open, the end of the switch shaft 13 is provided with an arcuate extension 47 that rotates with the switch shaft. The underside of the cover is provided with an interlocked extension 48, so located with respect to the arcuate extension 47 that, when the cover is in open position, the extension 48 occupies a position in the path of movement of the arcuate extension, and, consequently7 when the switch is open and the arcuate extension 48 occupies the position indicated in dotand-dash lines in Fig. 3, the switch cannot be closed until the cover is closed for the reason that, at such time, the extension 48 occupies a position to the right of the arcuate extension and prevents clock-wise rotation of the switch shaft. The various interlocking means above described add ma-l terially to the safety of operation of the switch mechanism.

`While I have described and illustrated but one embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in theart that various changes, modifications, substitutions, additions and omissions may be made in the apparatus described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A. safety switch box comprising a casing, a door for one side thereof, a second door mounted on the other door, a switch in one portion of the casing anda fuse in that portion of the casing adjacent to the second door, a movable latch for the second door, a bar movable into the path of the latch whereby opening movement of the latch is prevented, and a cam member movable with the switch for moving the bar across the path of the latch. when the switch is moved to closed position.

2. A safety switch box comprising a casing, a door for one side thereof, a second door mounted on the other door, a switch in one portion of the casing and a fuse in that portion of the casing adjacent to the second door, a bolt latch for the second door having a projection extending into the interior of the casing, a bar movable transversely across the path of the said projection whereby opening movement of the latch is prevented, and a cam member movable with the switch for moving the bar across the path of the latch when the switch is moved to closed position. ,i

3a safety switch box comprising' a casing, a door therefor, a second door mounted on the other door, a switch and a fuse in the casing, a bolt latch for the second door` having a projection extending into the interior of the casing extending transversely of the bolt latch and a bar within the casing pivoted for movement across the path of the said projection whereby opening movement of the latch is prevented, and a cam member movable with the switch for moving the bar across the path of the latch when the switch is moved to closed position.

1. A safety switch boX comprising a casing, a door therefor, a second door mounted on the other door, a switch and a fuse in the casing, a movable latch for the second door, means for locking the first door in closed position and means interlocking with the said means for holding the latch in closed position.

5. A safety switch box comprising a casing, a door therefor, a second door mounted on the other door, a switch in one portion of the casing and a fuse in that portion of the casing adjacent the second door, a movable latch for the second door, a locking eyelet mounted on the casing and projecting through the first door when the same is in closed position for receiving a locking element adapted to hold the door closed, a bar movable into the path of the movable latch whereby opening movement f the latch is prevented, and having an eyelet registering with the `eyelet mounted on the casing when the bar is in the path of the movable latch,

on the other door, a switch in one portion of the casing and a fuse in that portion of the casing adjacent the second door, a mov able latch for the second door carried by the first door, a locking eyelet mounted on the casing and projecting through the first door when the latter is in closed position adapted to receive a locking element, for holding the rst door closed, a bar slidably mounted on the underside of the first door` and movable into the path of the movable latch whereby opening movement of the latch is prevented and having an eyelet registering with the eyelet mounted on the casing when the bar is in the path of the movable latch, the said eyelet being adapted to be retained inregistry with the eyelet mounted on the casing, by the said locking element.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 27th day of Sept.,

HAROLD G. BAXTER. 

